


I Am Strong That Way

by mcgarrygirl78



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Drama, F/M, Humor, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-16
Updated: 2013-01-16
Packaged: 2017-11-25 16:44:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,519
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/640992
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mcgarrygirl78/pseuds/mcgarrygirl78
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“While I can't say specifically, I'm almost positive it involves a laptop and some case files.  Am I warm?”</p>
            </blockquote>





	I Am Strong That Way

**Author's Note:**

> Someone on Tumblr pondered why women in fics never get their periods or cramps. And this is what popped into my mind.

“You're in the room again, I can smell you.”

“It’s the tigress in you baby.”

“Don’t make me get out of this bed and beat the hell out of you, David.”

“I just came to bring you some tea.” Dave smiled but only because her back was to him.

“And don’t smile either.” She snapped.

“OK, no longer smiling.”

“I'm sorry.” Erin sighed as she slowly turned over in bed. “I just feel like hell. I feel like utter hell.”

“I know this is a stupid question but…”

“Please don’t ask me if I took something because that’s a really stupid question.”

“I had three wives and have two sisters so I have a little experience with this.”

“Put the tea down and walk away slowly.”

Nodding, Dave did just that. He left the tea on the nightstand and got the hell out of dodge. Erin had cramps. But she didn’t seem to have normal cramps; she had cramps from the ninth gate of hell. Dave didn’t even know that she still got cramps. 

He was a perceptive man but he never seemed to remember her experiencing them…at least not this time around in their relationship. He knew she still had female things. She kept tampons in the bathroom and sometimes he wasn’t allowed to touch her. He thought that these things went away at a certain age but it was bad form to ask something like that. 

Every woman was different and so were their bodies. That’s what made them fascinating and awesome and fuckin scary all at the same time. Hopefully Erin would drink her tea and whatever she’d taken would kick in. A long nap might be just what she needed to feel like herself again.

***

The phone beside his laptop vibrated and Dave looked at it. He’d been working on his lecture; hadn't realized how much time had gone by. That’s how it always happened. Dave loved his work. It wasn’t pretty but it was engrossing. 

If he wasn’t writing he was going over case files. He profiled in his sleep. He profiled in the supermarket, the lecture hall, or when he went to get a manicure. When he wasn’t actually profiling, he was writing about profiling. And now he was working on speeches about old cases and cold cases for a week long lecture series at Georgetown University. 

It wasn’t until he picked up his phone that he realized that nearly four hours had gone by. It was a surprise that Mudgie hadn't come down to rouse him for a walk. Even with the rain he’d at least want to relieve himself and run around a bit in the side yard. But he was probably upstairs watching over Erin as if she were a princess in a tower. 

“Hey baby.”

“I bet I can guess what you're doing.” She said.

He wanted to tell her what a wonderful combination of sexy and adorable she sounded when she was drowsy. Considering where her emotions were this morning it might not be in his best interest. So Dave just wore a smug smile thinking about her curled up in his bed with his dog as he leaned back in the chair.

“Go ahead, take a guess.”

“While I can't say specifically, I'm almost positive it involves a laptop and some case files. Am I warm?”

“You're smoking hot…but you already knew that. How was your nap? Are you feeling better?”

“I feel like I've been used as a punching bag. But the upside is that my uterus doesn’t feel as if it’s going to eat me from the inside out anymore.”

“We’re having such a lovely conversation.” Dave said.

“I know, it’s always the best when I'm with you Rossi.”

“Damn skippy baby.”

“I want you to come upstairs and hold me.”

“I'm coming just as fast as I can.”

“You're going to kill me with the double entendre.” Erin laughed some.

“There's more where that came from.”

“Will you bring me tea?” she asked.

“Of course I will. Are you hungry; its past lunchtime and you weren't in the mood for breakfast?”

“My appetite is nil but I should eat. I'm going to need something to suck up the Motrin I definitely need to take.”

“I’ll make a sandwich and we’ll split it.” Dave suggested.

“I know you’ll want more to eat than that.”

“I’ll make myself a nice dinner later. Hopefully you’ll have your appetite back and can share. If not, I’ll eat and then we’ll cuddle in bed with whatever you want. I think there's still 429 hours of Brideshead Revisited to watch.”

“Its not that long…don’t make me laugh.”

“I'm sorry baby. I’ll make the sandwich and tea, then I’ll be right up. You should send Mudgie down so I can let him run around in the yard for a bit while I do that.”

“Is it still raining?” Erin asked.

“Its drizzling but he’ll be alright.”

“Dry him completely before he comes back to the bed David.”

“Yes ma'am. I’ll see you in a few.”

000

She sighed as he wrapped his arms tighter around her. Erin curled her body around his, trying to relax. The rain falling outside helped and so did the medication. While she wasn’t feeling as horrible, she wasn’t feeling great by any stretch of the imagination. He’d brought her a half a turkey sandwich and a cup of tea. 

Erin didn’t realize how hungry she was until she ate it. She actually wanted more but already felt her stomach rebel against what she’d had. She didn’t want to think about that right now. All she wanted to think about was the comfort she felt being close to him. She hoped it didn’t make her weak, wanting his strong arms around her. 

She just felt so safe with her head resting on his chest listening to the way his heart beat. Sometimes she wondered how he felt when he held her. Too bad it wasn’t exactly fair to ask when Erin wasn’t so forthcoming with the intimate details of her heart. Dave was a little better but it had been a while. It had been a while for a lot. 

The BAU kept them both busy…her boyfriend was out of town more often than not. She lived at her place, sometimes she lived at his, and sometimes they lived together. Erin spent more on gas than probably anything else at the moment. She was also 50 years old and had cramps. What in the hell was that? 

Not only did she feel she was too old for this, it was a shock that the stress she constantly lived under hadn't caused her to skip these shenanigans altogether. It was time to see her doctor again. There would probably be more tests and some pills. From here on in it was just a spiral to breaking down, or something like that. As much as Erin tried to stop thinking about it she couldn’t. And when she couldn’t it got bad.

“How often am I not here when you don’t feel well?” Dave asked, his lips teasing her hairline.

“You're not here a lot.” she replied.

“I'm glad I'm here now.”

“You'll get no argument out of me.”

“My mother used to say there’s a first time for everything.”

“Well don’t get used to it, Agent Rossi. I'm glad I'm not alone.”

“I didn’t quite hear you baby.” Dave held her tighter. He thought he heard her but she spoke so low that he wasn’t sure.

“I'm not saying it again.”

“Erin, it’s OK to be…”

“Weak?”

“You’ve never been weak a day in your life. At the risk of being kicked out of this bed, that’s the hormones talking.”

“I'm not going to kick you out.” she shook her head. “You're doing me a service at the moment.”

“It never hurts to help.” Dave laughed.

“Yes, said no one ever.”

“I love you, Erin Strauss. I know I'm not always here but I would be so happy if you were always here.”

“I'm not going anywhere.”

Dave wanted to tell her that that wasn’t what he meant but she already knew. They practically lived together anyway; why not make it official. He knew that she didn’t want to give up everything while he gave up nothing. He also knew there was a part of her waiting for the other shoe to drop. It would be a conversation better had when she wasn’t in pain and hormones weren't coursing through her veins at uncontrollable levels. 

Or maybe like so many other things in this relationship cohabitation would just happen. There would be more clothes in his closet, more toiletries in his bathroom. Maybe her wine glasses would show up or the blanket her grandmother made for her. There had been times when they talked becoming Dave and Erin to death. It wasn’t easy to let go for normal people and there was nothing normal about David Rossi and Erin Strauss.

“I love you too you know.” 

“Mmm hmm,” he kissed her forehead. “I do know.”

***


End file.
